picture
picture
Pronunciation
/ˈpɪktʃər/.
Here's a breakdown of the sounds by syllable:
Pic- /pɪk/
/p/ - voiceless bilabial plosive
/ɪ/ - near-close near-front unrounded vowel
/k/ - voiceless velar plosive
-ture /tʃər/
/tʃ/ - voiceless post-alveolar affricate
/ər/ - r-colored vowel (schwa + r-sound)
Word Form Variations
Noun forms:
Singular: picture (e.g., "I took a picture of the sunset.")
Plural: pictures (e.g., "We have many pictures from our vacation.")
Verb forms:
Base form/Infinitive: picture (e.g., "Can you picture that in your mind?")
Third-person singular present: pictures (e.g., "He pictures his ideal future clearly.")
Past tense: pictured (e.g., "She pictured herself on a beach.")
Past participle: pictured (e.g., "The scene was perfectly pictured in the novel.")
Present participle/Gerund: picturing (e.g., "I'm picturing a large, sunny room.")
Related forms (less common but derived):
Adjective: picturable (meaning capable of being pictured or imagined)
Noun: picturableness (the quality of being picturable)
Adverb: picturably (in a picturable manner)
Noun (person): picturer (one who pictures)
Verb (opposite): mispicture (to picture incorrectly)
Adjective: unpictured (not pictured)
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A visual representation or image of a person, object, or scene, captured by a camera, drawn, painted, or otherwise created.
Synonyms: photograph, photo, image, illustration, drawing, painting, portrait, depiction, likeness, rendering, sketch, snapshot, still
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms; concepts like "absence of an image" or "verbal description" would be indirect opposites.)
A mental image or concept formed in the mind; an idea or impression of something.
Synonyms: idea, concept, notion, impression, visualization, mental image, perception, vision
Antonyms: reality, fact, concrete (in the sense of not being abstract)
The overall situation, state of affairs, or circumstances of something; the complete understanding of a scenario.
Synonyms: situation, scenario, context, circumstances, state of affairs, overview, perspective, understanding, grasp
Antonyms: detail (when referring to the opposite of the "big picture"), isolated event, fragment, confusion, misunderstanding
A film or motion picture; a movie. (Informal)
Synonyms: movie, film, flick (informal), motion picture, cinema
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms; perhaps "live performance" or "still image" could be considered indirect.)
Verb
To create a visual representation of something, either physically (by drawing, painting, photographing) or mentally (by imagining).
Synonyms: imagine, visualize, envision, conceive, portray, depict, draw, paint, photograph, illustrate, sketch, render, represent
Antonyms: disregard, ignore, overlook (when referring to the mental act of not imagining); erase, remove (when referring to the physical act of un-picturing, though less common)
To describe or represent something in words in a vivid or detailed way.
Synonyms: describe, portray, depict, characterize, represent, delineate, illustrate
Antonyms: obscure, confuse, obfuscate, misrepresent
To understand or grasp a situation or concept clearly. (Often used in questions like "Can you picture that?")
Synonyms: understand, grasp, comprehend, conceive, fathom, realize, perceive, apprehend
Antonyms: misunderstand, confuse, misinterpret, fail to grasp
Adjective
Note: "Picture" is not commonly used as an adjective on its own in the same way as "beautiful" or "red." When it functions adjectivally, it's usually as part of a compound noun or phrase (e.g., "picture frame," "picture book"). However, if forced into an adjectival role based on a quality of a picture, one might interpret it as follows:
Possessing the qualities of a good picture; visually appealing or evocative. (This is a less direct adjectival use and often implies something that looks like a picture.)
Synonyms: picturesque, scenic, vivid, graphic, evocative, clear, distinct, illustrative
Antonyms: blurry, indistinct, unphotogenic, unappealing, drab
Adverb
Note: "Picture" does not function as an adverb in standard English usage. An adverb describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb (e.g., "quickly," "very," "happily"). Phrases like "like a picture" would use "picture" as a noun within a prepositional phrase, not as an adverb itself.
Examples of Use
Books:
"His mind went back to the old days in the village, and he could picture the dusty roads and the familiar faces." (Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart, 1958)
"Every time I close my eyes, I see a picture of that terrible night." (Stephen King, It, 1986)
Newspapers:
"The article included a striking picture of the newly completed bridge, spanning the river against a backdrop of mountains." (Daily Nation)
"Economists are trying to get the full picture of how the new policy will impact the job market." (The Guardian)
Online Publications:
"New satellite pictures reveal the extent of the wildfire damage in California." (BBC News Online)
"The blog post aims to help you picture what life would be like living off-grid." (Treehugger)
"Can you picture a world where renewable energy powers every home?" (National Geographic online)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film/Television: "Let's go see a picture tonight!" (Common dialogue in classic films, e.g., Casablanca, 1942)
Music (Song Lyrics): "Is it too late now to say sorry? 'Cause I'm missing more than just your body, oh I'm missing your mind. It's a professional picture." (Justin Bieber, "Sorry,")
Video Games: "The game's graphics create a stunning picture of a post-apocalyptic world." (IGN Review, Fallout 4)
Social Media (Instagram/Facebook): "Just posted a picture of my delicious homemade pasta! Check it out!" (User post)
Streaming Platforms (Netflix/Hulu): "This documentary paints a grim picture of the challenges facing deep-sea exploration." (Description on a documentary)
General Public Discourse:
"Can you picture yourself living in a place like that?" (Everyday conversation)
"The police released a sketch of the suspect's face, hoping someone would recognize the picture." (News report)
"We need to look at the big picture before making a decision." (Business meeting discussion)
"That's a beautiful picture you took of the sunset!" (Casual compliment)
10 Quotes Using Picture
Here are ten famous quotes that strictly use the word "picture":
"A picture is worth a thousand words." (Common proverb, often attributed to Fred R. Barnard, 1921)
"Every picture tells a story." (Rod Stewart, "Every Picture Tells a Story," 1971)
"I don't trust words, I trust pictures." (Gilles Peress)
"You don't take a picture, you make it." (Ansel Adams)
"A good picture is equivalent to a good deed." (Vincent Van Gogh)
"The most important thing is to have a good picture of the future, a positive picture of what's possible." (Jim Rohn)
"I want to make a picture that will stay forever." (Robert Bresson)
"A picture has to be what you see, and then you have to put some of yourself in it." (August Sander)
"The best picture is around the corner." (Imogen Cunningham)
"A picture lives by companionship, expanding and quickening in the eyes of the sensitive observer." (Henri Cartier-Bresson)
Etymology
The word "picture" has a fascinating journey through languages!
It ultimately comes from the Latin word "pictūra." This Latin word had a couple of meanings: it could refer to "the art of painting" itself, or "a painting" as a finished product.
"Pictūra" comes from the past tense of the Latin verb "pingere," which meant "to paint," "to make pictures," or even "to embroider." If you go back even further, the root of "pingere" is thought to be from an even older language called Proto-Indo-European (a reconstructed language from which many modern languages descended), where a word like *"peyḱ-" meant something like "to spot" or "to color."
The word "picture" then traveled into Old French as "picture" (and also "peinture," which eventually gave us the English "paint" and "painting"). From Old French, it entered Middle English (the form of English spoken from about 1150 to 1500).
The first known use of "picture" in English was in the Middle English period, specifically before 1425. At that time, its primary meaning was "a painting, drawing, or other visual representation on a surface." So, from its very beginning in English, "picture" referred to an image created visually, usually on a flat surface.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Picture
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "picture":
A pretty picture: A pleasing or desirable situation.
The big picture: The overall perspective or complete situation, rather than just details.
To get the picture: To understand the situation or circumstances.
To put someone in the picture: To inform someone about a situation.
To be out of the picture: To no longer be involved in a situation or consideration.
To draw a picture: To describe something clearly or vividly.
To paint a grim/rosy picture: To describe a situation as negative/positive.
To be the spitting image of someone: To look exactly like someone (using "image" as a strong synonym).
Every picture tells a story: Every image or situation has a narrative behind it.
Picture perfect: Exactly as it should be; ideal.
In the picture: Relevant or included in a situation.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of picture from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
